Latin American organisation Isurus will not participate in the 2026 season of the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLOL), concluding its stint in the league following a year as a guest team.
The decision, announced on 4th December 2025, stems from structural limitations tied to its guest status and a strategic reassessment after Riot Games reverted the League of the Americas (LTA) model back to separate LCS and CBLOL competitions.
The organisation stated its departure followed an extensive evaluation of the “evolving competitive landscape” after the 2025 structural changes. According to the organisation, Isurus initially applied to the LTA model confident in its regional vision, but the subsequent shift back to two independent leagues altered the international opportunities for South American teams. Crucially, operating as a guest team created “substantial limitations” compared to partnered franchises.
“We deeply value the CBLOL, its community, and everything it represents for the esports ecosystem in Brazil. But under the current conditions, it is not the right path for Isurus today,” said Facundo “Kala” Calabró, CEO and Founder. He added that the organisation would reconsider a return if the model ever realigns with its vision of “sustainability, clarity, and long-term development.”
According to exclusive information provided to The Esports Radar, the guest slot’s primary disadvantage was the annual requirement to defend its position in a promotion/relegation tournament. This uncertainty hampered long-term business planning, restricted the ability to field an academy roster, and forced the team to focus on the relegation tournament during critical roster-building periods.
“Since we are from LATAM (we’ve been competing in the LLA from Mexico City since 2020), we couldn’t fully deploy our operations in Brazil—such as opening our own offices, for example—because our spot for the following year was not guaranteed until the promotion/relegation tournament each year. From an operational cost perspective, this is significantly more expensive than being able to commit to a full, long-term deployment,” a representative from Isurus told The Esports Radar.
The decision to leave was confirmed well after the most recent promotion/relegation tournament, which was won by Isurus and granted it the 2026 CBLOL spot. Riot Games is now handling the process of filling the slot vacancy for the 2026 CBLOL season, with an announcement expected in due course.
This move follows Riot’s major structural reversal announced two months ago, which dissolved the single-year LTA experiment. According to the company, the return to independent leagues for 2026 was driven by fan demand for regional identity, ending the cross-regional playoffs. Isurus had competed in the LTA’s South conference as a guest team, initially through a partnership with Estral Esports that ended in June 2025, though Isurus retained the competitive slot.
Isurus emphasised its departure does not signal an exit from League of Legends, but a “strategic redirection” towards strengthening the local Latin American ecosystem. This includes a focus on community events and supporting growth beyond the Tier 1 level. The organisation has existing experience as a tournament organiser, notably running the Liga Visa Valkyria women’s league across Latin America and Brazil for over three years.
Asked if following the path as a tournament organiser is a possibility, Isurus stated that “The [Liga Visa Valkyria] surpassed 1.8 million watched minutes on stream and had more than 300 registered players from across the region. We also organize monthly community tournaments… So yes, everything is on the table and we are always exploring new possibilities.”
The organisation, which has competed in League of Legends since 2012, also stated to be already working on new competitive and community projects for Latin America.
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